Listen to Gun-Bit Barkmin’s debut as Brünnhilde in Richard Wagner’s ‚Götterdämmerung‘ with the Hong Kong Philharmonic under Jaap van Zweden, recorded in January 2018, just released on Naxos (Nov 9, 2018). See trailer here:www.youtube.com/watch?v=lay53mm2VTs

For her live performances in January 2018 in Hong Kong Mrs Barkmin received rave reviews:

„The star of the production was undoubtedly Gun-Brit Barkmin as Brünnhilde. She displayed an amazing range of emotional expression, from gentle lyrical beauty – as in her goose-pimple inducing lament for Siegfried upon his death – to high drama, as in her lashing out at the gods for their perverted cruelty. Svelte in the former and forceful in the latter, her voice displayed tremendous agility and malleability. Her voice was one of few which consistently projected above the orchestra throughout with impeccable diction.“
Bachtrack (Alan Yu), 22 Jan 2018

„With such a large orchestra on stage, rather than in the pit, some of the singers struggled at times to be heard over the swelling score – but no such difficulties for German soprano Gun-Brit Barkmin, making her debut as Brünnhilde. Her Wagnerian repertoire includes Sieglinde in Die Walküre and Elsa in Lohengrin, and she recently sang her first Isolde at Oper Graz. Her voice has a bright, gleaming steeliness with a clarion clarity and blazing top notes. Dramatically, she has great presence and delivered a dignified, fierce Brünnhilde you wouldn’t want to mess with.“
Limelight Magazine Australia (Jo Listen), 22 Jan 2018

The New York Philharmonic has named German baritone Matthias Goerne as The Mary and James G. Wallach Artist-in-Residence for the 2018–19 season.

He will perform a range of works with the Orchestra, all led by Jaap van Zweden, and chamber music with Philharmonic musicians. Mr. Goerne will perform songs by Schubert and Richard Strauss, December 6–8, 2018; Brahms’s Ein deutsches Requiem, alongside soprano Ying Fang and the Concert Chorale of New York, directed by James Bagwell, February 7–9, 2019; and John Adams’s The Wound-Dresser, March 21, 23, and 26, 2019. He will also perform chamber music with pianist Daniil Trifonov and Philharmonic musicians on March 17, 2019, at 92nd Street Y; the program will include Eisler’s Ernste Gesänge, a selection of Lieder, and Brahms’s Piano Quintet.

Matthias Goerne and Jaap van Zweden have previously collaborated in acclaimed performances of songs by Schubert and Richard Strauss and on the Naxos compilation recording of Wagner’s Ring Cycle.

„The evening’s other curiosity was the rarely-played Cello Concerto by Lalo. There were only flashes of the Mediterranean heat and charm of the Symphonie Espagnole, the one piece by Lalo most people know, but the brilliant young soloist Edgar Moreau certainly made the most of them. With his beautiful unforced tone, angelic purity of tuning and impeccable fast finger-work Moreau lightened the self-conscious seriousness of Lalo’s piece and made it seem better than it really is. He is clearly a talent to watch.“THE TELEGRAPH (Ivan Hewett), 30. Januar 2018

Gun-Brit Barkmin has just made her successful debut as „Brünnhilde“ in two concert performances of „Götterdämmerung“ in Jaap van Zweden’s much acclaimed Ring cycle with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra:

„The star of the production was undoubtedly Gun-Brit Barkmin as Brünnhilde. She displayed an amazing range of emotional expression, from gentle lyrical beauty – as in her goose-pimple inducing lament for Siegfried upon his death – to high drama, as in her lashing out at the gods for their perverted cruelty. Svelte in the former and forceful in the latter, her voice displayed tremendous agility and malleability. Her voice was one of few which consistently projected above the orchestra throughout with impeccable diction.“Bachtrack, 22 Jan 2018 (Alan Yu)

„With such a large orchestra on stage, rather than in the pit, some of the singers struggled at times to be heard over the swelling score – but no such difficulties for German soprano Gun-Brit Barkmin, making her debut as Brünnhilde. Her Wagnerian repertoire includes Sieglinde in Die Walküre and Elsa in Lohengrin, and she recently sang her first Isolde at Oper Graz. Her voice has a bright, gleaming steeliness with a clarion clarity and blazing top notes. Dramatically, she has great presence and delivered a dignified, fierce Brünnhilde you wouldn’t want to mess with.“Limelight Magazine Australia, 22 Jan 2018 (Jo Listen)